Family Procedure Rules

What's New

[This page was last updated on 1 July 2015]

Update 17 July 2015

The Family Procedure Rules and Practice Directions have been updated to include amendments made to prescribe the practice and procedure to be followed in relation to applications for female genital mutilation protection orders under Part 1 of Schedule 2 to the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003, as inserted by section 73 of the Serious Crime Act 2015.

Update 1 July 2015

The Family Procedure Rules have been updated to include amendments (i) to support section 9(6) of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 (conversion of civil partnership into marriage) and (ii) as a consequence of section 63CA of the Family Law Act 1996 making breach of a forced marriage protection order an offence.

This update reflects those amendments made by the Family Procedure (Amendment|) Rules 2015 that came into force on 1 July 2015

Update 11 January 2015

The Family Procedure Rules and Practice Direction have been updated to include amendments made to support the Regulation (EU) No 606/2013 on mutual recognition of protection measures in civil matters.

This update reflects those amendments made by the Family Procedure (Amendment No.4) Rules 2014 and Practice Direction Amendments that came into force on 11 January 2015. The remaining provisions will come into force on 6 April 2015.

Update 22 April 2014

The Family Procedure Rules and Practice Directions have been updated to include amendments made to support the single family court, the family justice provisions of the Children and Families Act 2014 and the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013.

The update reflects amendments made by the Family Procedure (Amendment No.3) Rules 2013 [SI 2013 No.3204(L.26)], the Family Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2014 [SI 2014 No.524(L.5)], the Family Procedure (Amendment No.2) Rules 2014 [SI 2014 No.667(L.11)] and the Family Procedure (Amendment No.3) Rules 2014 [SI 2014 No.843(L.15)], in addition to amendments made to the supplementary Practice Directions.